“Please, call me Natalia. Or Talia.” A small shrug. “I answer to either one.”
“Ooh, Talia.” Ro gave her head a small tilt. “I love that. It’s fun. Exotic.” She offered an outstretched hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Talia.”
“Likewise.”
The two women shared a quick handshake before Natalia brought her hand back down to her side.
“I’d ask what kind of trouble you’re getting the guys into tomorrow, but I know better.”
“Yeah…sorry about that.” She knew it had to be hard having a spouse who couldn’t talk about their work. “I’d share the details if I could, but?—”
“No worries.” Ro waved Natalia’s concern away. “We’re used to being kept in the dark. Isn’t that right, Meg?”
“Yep. I learned a long time ago that worrying doesn’t do anyone any good. That being said…” Christian’s wife brought her pretty round gaze to Natalia’s. “I trust you’ll do everything in your power to bring our boys back to us in one piece?”
Her chest tightened. “Their safety and well-being are my top priority.”
Always.
“Good.” Ro’s ruby lips curved. “Now that we have that out of the way, I was just about to open a bottle of wine. Would you like some?”
“Thanks, but I should probably be getting back to the hotel.”
Megan glanced at her watch with a frown. “Already? But it’s barely seven-thirty.”
“I know, but it’s been a long couple of days, and I have an important phone call to make. Plus, there are still a few things I need to iron out on my end before tomorrow morning.”
And sleep. She definitely needed sleep.
“A Homeland agent’s work is never done, huh?”
Natalia sent a sideways grin Ro’s way. “Something like that.”
The truth was that her entire adult life had revolved around work. Meetings. Mission briefs. Field work. Missiondebriefs. Intelligence assessments for the next op that was always waiting in the wings.
You know what they say. All work and no play makes Talia a sad and lonely woman.
It was the running joke among her co-workers anytime they invited her to join them for some off-the-clock fun. Dinner out. Drinks. A trip to the nightclub.
No matter where the group went or how they wanted to blow off steam, Natalia was always “regretfully” unable to attend. There was always a reason. Some sort of excuse. Anything to keep her from letting them get too close.
You let them in, you start caring. The more you care, the worse it hurts when they’re gone.
Natalia would have bagged out on this evening’s little get-to-know-you-better barbeque, too, if Megan hadn’t all but demanded she stay. But it was getting later by the minute, and she really did have an important phone call to make.
She also did want to go back over the plan a few more times from the top. Not with the team—they were professionals at their core and were already mission-ready. No, the in-depth review she’d conduct from the privacy of her hotel room was solely for Natalia’s peace of mind.
She needed to be alone for that part. Sitting in a quiet room with the intel laid out before her and zero distractions.
Plus being here, surrounded by the members of Delta Team and their wives and seeing the way the happy couples were together just served as a reminder of all the things missing in her own life.
Always looking in.
“Here.” Megan held out her hands. “Let me take that so you can go say goodbye to the guys and be on your way.”
Natalia flashed an appreciative grin as the kind hostess took possession of the near-empty plate.
“Thank you. And thanks so much for the food and allowing us to invade your home.”
